Now is the Time to Invest & Here's Why! Part 1

There are lots of reasons people decide to invest in real estate, but the biggest one is to make money. When you invest in property, your money is working for you, building your wealth and setting you up for a comfortable future. Sure, market fluctuations and economic uncertainties can affect your cash flows and profits, but overall, real estate offers a safe and effective avenue for you to make that money and secure your future. And NOW is the time to invest. In this 2 part post, we’ll tell you why right now is the time to act on your investment dreams and make them your reality.

1. Prices are decent. If you looked a graph tracking home prices over the last decade and a half, it would look a little like a mountain range. There would be some minor ups and downs, and then a major peak in about 2005/06, followed by a steep plummet when the housing bubble burst. Naturally, these huge price fluctuations resulted in a lot of panic among property investors, and likely even turned off a few would-be investors.Over the last couple of years, however, home prices have been stabilizing, while trending upward. This is good for investors, because it means the market is once again stable and homes are appreciating. Currently, prices are very reasonable in most markets, and there are still plenty of good deals to be found.
2. Rates are low and banks are lending. Unless you have the money saved up to purchase a home with cash, you’ll need to get a loan. Mortgage rates have been low for several years now, and there’s no sign of an increase coming up. Earlier this year, there was talk of the feds hiking the rates, but that has yet to materialize. Low rates mean low payments, and ultimately more money in your pocket.Banks are also loosening their purse strings with borrowers, and have relaxed some of the strict standards they imposed after the market collapse in 2008. This has made it much easier for the average buyer to secure a mortgage for that investment property they’ve been dreaming of.
3. It’s easier than ever. We’re not saying investing isn’t complicated, because it certainly can be, but technology has made real estate investing easier than ever. With a computer and an internet connection, you have access to all the information you need to research and purchase an investment property. You can look up the history of a particular property, neighborhood, or larger market, and you can check out projections for the future as well.Once you’ve made a purchase, many of the tasks associated with managing the property can also be performed with a few clicks of your mouse. If you’re not contracting with a property management company to handle things for you, technology enables you to advertise your property online, do preliminary tenant screenings, collect and manage rent, interact with tenants, and so on. Of course, there will still be plenty of things that must be done in person, like meeting tenants face-to-face and inspecting your property periodically, but much of the day-to-day work can be completed from the comfort of your home or office.